The Choral Arts Society of Washington, D.C. -- one of the most prestigious choirs in the country -- has announced the selection of Scott Tucker, Cornell professor of music, as its new artistic director, effective this fall, for the 2012-13 season.

At Cornell, Tucker has also overseen the activities of the Cornell Chorale, Chamber Singers and Sage Chapel Choir and led the Cornell choirs on national and international tours. University Photography file photo.

Tucker, the Priscilla Edwards Browning Director of Choral Music, has been director of the Cornell Glee Club and University Chorus for the past 17 years and was unanimously selected by the Choral Arts Society after a 12-month international search to replace Norman Scribner, who founded the society 46 years ago and has been its director ever since.

"While Cornell will be very sorry to see him go, we're deeply appreciative of the stature of his new position," said Steve Pond, music department chair. "Scott has spent the last decade and a half building an amazingly vibrant choral program at Cornell. He can be proud of his accomplishments here, and has built a strong legacy for future conductors to live up to."

During his tenure at Cornell, Tucker also oversaw the activities of the Cornell Chorale, Chamber Singers and Sage Chapel Choir. Under Tucker's leadership, the Cornell choirs toured nationally and internationally, performed frequently with the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra during its operation, prepared major works for several leading conductors and collaborated with acclaimed artists such as Anonymous 4, Peter Schreier and Garrison Keillor of NPR's "A Prairie Home Companion."

In a statement, Scribner said that Tucker's gifts embrace "an intense natural musicality, a consummate technique, a fabulous ear and a vast reservoir of knowledge and experience in virtually all periods and styles, together with a clear vision for the future of music in our own time … Scott's appointment heralds a brilliant new era in the Choral Arts Society's pursuit of excellence in the choral arts."

Corey Ryan Earle '07 sang in the Glee Club from 2003-07 and served as its president during his senior year. "Professor Tucker truly understood and appreciated the historic choral music legacy at Cornell, and he helped students realize that they were part of something bigger than themselves, extending to generations before and after the current ensembles," Earle said. "His passion and musicality helped unite countless alumni in song around the world."

Glee Club alumnus George Gull '72, who has been periodically singing with the club for the last 42 years, noted that when Tucker came to Cornell, he was also following in the footsteps of a longtime director: the legendary Professor Thomas Sokol, who had been a conductor at Cornell for 38 years. "It's really tough to follow someone who's so established," said Gull, "but Scott was able to command an incredible respect and make just beautiful music."